Chocolate Pots

We return to the works of Nigella Lawson today, with a sublime little dessert she simply calls “Chocolate Pots.” You could, of course, call them “Pots de crème de chocolat” if you were a Francophile, or just call it chocolate pudding if you wanted to be Molly-Bloom-ish about it.

Nigella does have recipes that do not involve chocolate, although you wouldn’t know it by reading this blog. We will address some of her other, non-dessert preparations at some future date.

You’re going to see me making little modifications here and there, as is my wont. This is because I went to graduate school in English literature (did you get my Ulysses reference above?). I can’t actually create anything, but I spent over a decade learning how to shamelessly criticize the creative works of others. As usual, the original recipe is at the end of the post.

You start by combining the milk and the cream in a saucepan, and heating it until it just barely comes to the boil. You could do this in a microwave, of course, but showing you a picture of a measuring cup inside a microwave seemed uninteresting, somehow.

While that’s heating, measure out 6 ounces of dark chocolate. Nigella calls for 70% bittersweet. I used 60%. Really, you can use whatever kind you like, but remember that if you go over 70%, you’ll probably have to add some sugar.




Put the chocolate in a blender or food processor. I prefer a blender for this because it’s easier to pour the finished product into cups at the end.



Turn on the blender and pulverize the chocolate into a powder. Please note that this is one of the few non-sinister uses of the word “pulverize.”


Add ¼ to ½ tsp of allspice, and (my addition) 1 tsp of instant espresso powder. At this point, you will hear a hissing sound, and turn around to see boiling milk erupting all over your stove.


Just kidding. In fact, at this point, pour the hot milk/cream mixture into the blender and let it sit for 30 seconds. Turn the blender on medium-low speed until the mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds more (if you’re using a processor, just turn the thing on).



At this point, with the blender still running at medium-low, carefully remove the lid, and crack an egg into the mixture. Let it blend/process for 45 seconds.

Until I grow that prehensile tail I’ve been dreaming of, it’s impossible for me to open a blender, crack an egg, and wield an iPhone at the same time, which is why you see a rather pointless photo of me holding an egg above a blender.


Once it’s blended together, it should look something like this.

Please note that you should not drink the mixture at this point. You will want to, and we both know it would be a glorious indulgence. But that is not what we are aiming for here. Content yourself in the knowledge that any spoons or spatulas that you use will be eminently lickable.

Note to self: if I ever start an NSFW blog, it must be titled “Eminently Lickable.”



I threw in a splash of Grand Marnier, because orange.


Pour the mixture into bowls, or ramekins, or espresso cups, or whatever you have.


Cover with plastic and chill until set—at least 3-4 hours before you serve it, preferably with a bit of whipped cream.

Nigella seems under the impression that this will serve 8; she’s figuring about ¼ cup per person. And yes, it is rich, and yes, I am a glutton, but I would say 4 – 6 is more likely, depending on the sizes of the portions and of the people. If you need to make it for a crowd, though, I would recommend just making 2 batches rather than trying to double the recipe, as the logistics of juggling the larger amounts are tricky. And of course, if you were making two batches, you wouldn’t have to clean the blender in between.

From Nigella Lawson, Nigella Bites:

Chocolate Pots

6 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoons whole milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon allspice

1 egg

8 ¼-cup pots or custard cups

Crush the chocolate to smithereens in the food processor. Heat the cream and the milk until just about boiling, add the vanilla and allspice and pour through the funnel over the chocolate. Let stand for 30 seconds. Process for 30 seconds, then crack the egg down the funnel and process for 45 seconds.

Pour into whatever little cups you’re serving in, and set them in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. But remember to take them out of the refrigerator a good 20 minutes before you want them to be eaten; the chill interferes with their luscious, silky richness.

This makes 2 cups altogether; enough to fill 8 little pots of approximately ¼ cup capacity. But if you’ve only got bigger cups, just augment quantities.